2. Assemble Your Team

You and your tight-knit circle of liberal arts majors can’t do this alone. You may have gotten through Infinite Jest or glanced a de Kooning, but the things that get you through college and the things that help you win trivia are not always the same. You need at least one sports person and one science person. One of you should know esoteric historical facts. You should all keep up with the news, because YOU SHOULD KEEP UP WITH THE NEWS ANYWAY. A few weeks ago my team and I did terribly because there was a section on national capitals in Africa, which proves that trivia is yet another compelling argument in favor of ethnic diversity. Basically, you should think of it like a heist in a film, in which every person plays his or her quirky, extraordinarily specific, but essential role.

These are the drunks you should be emulating-- at least with regards to forming your trivia team. Via Wikipedia.

3. Play Nice

This seems like it should go without saying, but don’t cheat. It’s extremely easy to cheat at trivia because you have Wikipedia on your phone. Don’t do it. It takes away the satisfaction of actually knowing the answer by like 100%. And don’t be afraid to yell at people who you see cheating. They knew the risk, and they’re ruining the fun for everyone else.

Don’t let any one person take excessive control of the team to its detriment. This situation is discussed at length in this episode of the Judge John Hodgman podcast:

And finally, have fun with it. Be nice to each other. Get cool jackets made with your team name on them. It’s hard to go out and make friends with people sometimes, and trivia is a cool way to strengthen bonds with people you already like. Good luck!

triviatrivia

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